Francis a



' (No Model.) v

E v P. A. UQFPIN.

LETTER FILE. No. 365,433. Patented June 28,- 1887.

N. rnsns, Pholo-Lrlhogmphar. Walhingtnn, u. c.

ing 0, locking the spring in place.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANCIS A. COFFIN, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO THEINDIANAPOLIS CABINET COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

LETTER-FILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 365,433, dated June 28,1887.

Application filed December 16, 1886. Serial No. 221,794. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANCIS A. OOFFIN, a residentofIndianapolis, Marioncounty, Indiana, have made certain new and useful Improvements inLetter-Files, a .description of which isset forth in the followingspecification, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in theseveral figures of which like letters represent like parts.

My invention consists in an improvement in the mechanism which isintended to hold a letter file orindex in place in a suitable drawer orbox, and will be understood from the following description.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a front view of a drawer containingmy invention, looking into thedrawer from the inner end. Fig. 2is aperspective view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the post whichholds the file,.and the spring at the top providing a bearing for theupper end of the post and looking it in place. Fig. 4 is a view from theunder side of the spring. Figs. 3 and 4 are drawn on alarger scale thanFigs. 1 and 2.

In' detail, d is a drawer or case adapted to slip in an opening in thedesk, the inner end being left open for the admission of the filebook F,which is constructed and indexed in the usual manner. This file-book hasa slot cut through at the back end, throughwhich a post, 1), passes, asindicated in Fig. 3. The bottom of this post has a bearing in the bottomof the drawer, and the upper end of this post has a bearing in anopening, 0, in the spring-plate s, which is pivoted'at r on the underside of a cleat or strip, 0, connecting the sides of the drawer, asshown in Fig. 2. This springs has acatch, 0, attached to one end, whichhas an opening, 0, and when the spring is pushed back, as shown in Fig.1, it passes over the end of a pin, 1", which enters the open- A p 1furnishes a bear-mg on thepostp, to prevent the spring 8 from slippingdown, and a similar pin,

5 1), passes through the lower end of the post p,

to prevent the file F from coming off.

his a holder, consisting of a bent wire, its ends turned up at rightangles, and having bearings in the sides of the drawer, as shown in Fig.2. In this figure the rod is shown as.

clamping the front end of the index, holding the leaves together. Toopen the file, the rod is rotated on its bearings and lifted up towardthe inner end of the draweigwhere it assumes the position shown by thedotted lines h, and the file may be removed.

ris a pin projecting a short distance from the inside of each end of thedrawer to prevent the holder h from slipping past.

When itis desired to open the file, the holder his thrown over nearly acomplete revolution, and the holder in this case takes the positionshown by the dotted lines h", the top portion thereof fitting downclosely against the outer end of the drawer, being completely out of theway, so that the drawer may he slipped in the desk with the wire even inthis position, if desired.

When it is necessary to remove the file, the catch 0 is pressed downuntil it is released from its engagement with the pin r", and then it ispulled out so as to be nearly, if not quite, parallel with the sides ofthe drawer, and this releases the top of the post from its bearing inthe opening 0 of the spring-plate, and the post may be drawn forwarduntil it assumes an oblique position, and the file may be slipped up andoft the end of the post and a new one inserted. When this is done, thespring is pushed round until the opening 0 is again brought over theupper end of the post-p, and the spring is then forced in until itcatches upon the pin r and the parts are locked in place.

I am aware that letter-files provided with wires for holding the indexesin place and with posts and catches for locking the file therein are notnew, and do not broadly claim the same as myinvention. Mine, however,differs from any I have known in the particular constructionhereinbefore specified, which constitutes my invention.

- What-I claim, therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isthe following:

1. The drawer (I, provided with the cleat 0, upon the under side ofwhich is fastened the springs, having the catch 0, the detachable post1), having bearings at its lower end in the bot tom of the drawer and atthe upper end in the spring-plate s, the file F, slotted to admit thepost p, and mounted thereon, the holding-wire 72, whose upturned endshave bearings in the sides and near the inner end of the drawer andadapted to revolve on such bearings, all combined substantially asdescribed.

2. A letter-file composed of a drawer or case whose front portionsustains a detachable post 5 and a catch for locking the same, anindex-file slotted and passed over such detachable post,

and a holding-wire having hearings in the sides and near the rear end ofthe drawer and adapted to revol vethereon,so that when thrown 1o inwardit clamps ihesheets ofthe letter-file,and

when thrown outward it is completely removed froin the file and restsagainst the edge of the drawer-bottom outof the way of the user, allcombined substantially as described.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my 15 hand this 11th day ofFebruary, 1886.

FRANCIS A. QOFFIN. Witnesses:

, O. 1 J ACOBS,

E. J. RALS'ION.

